Brothers
by Sode no Shirayuki1411
Summary: It might have taken him a few decades but eventually Meliodas realized that his father didn't just have two more sons. Meliodas had two brothers. One-shot.


**Hi everyone! This is just what I thought of when I looked through rose-coloured lenses at what Meliodas, Zeldris and Estarossa's brotherly relationship might have been like. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Estarossa was only one hundred and forty-eight when Zeldris was born, but Meliodas was well over three hundred when a grey-haired baby was shown to him and he was virtually told outright that he'd better keep himself in line because he was no longer the Demon King's only heir.

The title of Demon King or Queen was always given to the strongest fighter, not necessarily the child of the previous ruler but Meliodas had always known how vain his father was and that he would never willingly hand over the throne. But if he did, he would much prefer to give it to someone of his bloodline, rather than a stranger. But now that Meliodas was no longer his only child he wasn't totally necessary to the King anymore.

But Meliodas paid the threat little mind, son or not he was still the strongest fighter in the demon clan after his father, death and destruction came as easily to him as breathing, perhaps more so, in fact. And Estarossa would always be just a child to him, a child he paid no mind to.

Until suddenly Estarossa was everywhere Meliodas went, toddling after him on unsteady legs, strong, so strong, even at that age, but still just a child, new to the world around him and still learning how to do things he would one day take for granted.

But young as he was he recognized Meliodas, or maybe he didn't and just decided to follow the older demon around everywhere anyway. Meliodas had met Estarossa once as a baby, now that he could walk, he was having trouble getting rid of him.

"You can't follow me in here," said Meliodas, looking into his brother's black eyes and feeling rather stupid, the tiny creature probably couldn't even understand him, "it's not safe." And _why_ exactly did he care? His family wasn't exactly close, even by demon standards, and this grey-haired brat was just a contender to his throne.

Seeing that his message wasn't getting through and unsure of what else to do, Meliodas knelt in front of his little brother. "You're still young now. And weak. But you will get bigger, I promise, and when you do you can come training with me, alright?"

Estarossa reached up and pulled on one of Meliodas' blond curls. It didn't hurt but it was such an unexpected thing that Meliodas pulled back instinctively, "I'll take that as a yes."

He stood, "I'm going to pick you up now," he warned, before scooping Estarossa up into his arms and carrying him away from the training rooms.

He handed Estarossa back to one of his carers and gently pulled on one of his brother's grey curls the same way Estarossa had done to him, "stay here tiny person." He ordered before leaving. Estarossa waited all of five seconds before wiggling out of his carer's arms and toddling off after his older brother again.

Down the corridor the caretaker heard Prince Meliodas sigh.

* * *

Never let it be said that Meliodas didn't give in gracefully.

After realizing that Estarossa had gotten attached to him (or that he provided his younger brother with the greatest source of entertainment), Meliodas compensated for his brother. He started wearing a smaller sword most of the time, one that could be hung at his hip rather than across his back, so he could carry Estarossa on his back or shoulders when his younger brother's tiny legs weren't up to the task of following Meliodas all day every day. He only wore his huge, serrated sword when he was going out to fight.

Every time before he left Meliodas knelt down before his younger brother to look him in the eye, "I'm going to go away now." Were the words he always said. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

Soon was a relative term but he did always come back. Estarossa would always nod and pull on Meliodas' hair, Meliodas pulled on the long lock of grey sticking up from the crown of Estarossa's head in return before turning and walking away.

* * *

But the biggest test of Meliodas' patience came when Estarossa learned to talk.

From the minute his younger brother learned to utter his first word all the older demon heard was "Meliodas, what…?" "Meliodas, when…?" "Meliodas, where…?" "Meliodas, who…?" And, above all else, "Meliodas, _why…?"  
_

Many demons who saw them together thought the younger prince would be booted across the castle for being annoying, but no matter how irritating Meliodas found Estarossa he never told him to get lost and always answered him. Always.

* * *

Pretty soon the two were always together. It was when the terrifying oldest demon prince was in a war meeting, idly bouncing his younger brother on his knee, and someone pointed out that he didn't _have_ to bring Estarossa everywhere, that Meliodas realized that genuinely hadn't occurred to him. They were inseparable. They were brothers after all.

* * *

One hundred and forty-eight years after a grey-haired baby was placed in Meliodas' arms, he and Estarossa were shown a different black-haired child. Their younger brother Zeldris.

Estarossa peered curiously at his younger brother in his older brother's arms. "He's so small, was I that small?"

"Pretty close," said Meliodas, studying his black-haired brother with trepidation. He loved Estarossa more than he had ever thought possible, but he was still very much his father's son, cruel, remorseless, terrifying… He wasn't sure he had enough room in his hearts for anyone else. His hearts weren't very big.

And it would probably be better for Zeldris if Meliodas didn't care for him anyway. The blond had a lot of enemies and Zeldris' life would be much smoother if none of them targeted him to hurt his brother.

It had never bothered him with Estarossa but looking at how fragile Zeldris was made Meliodas realize how strong he himself was. He suddenly grew very self-conscious of his hands, holding the black blanket wrapped around his sibling.

He'd killed so many with those scarred, calloused hands. What made him think that he could hold his little brother without hurting him?

Meliodas all but shoved Zeldris into their mother's arms and turned to stride swiftly from the room, Estarossa running to keep up with him. "Hey, Meliodas, are you okay? Meliodas, what's wrong? Meliodas…"

* * *

But despite himself Meliodas did grow to care for his youngest brother, Zeldris didn't follow him around or hero-worship him like Estarossa did, he mostly kept to himself, displaying a fierce independence that bordered on mistrust for all those around him.

Whereas Estarossa was more carefree Zeldris was quiet, he was also fiercely intelligent and had a temper slow to rouse but nasty when activated.

Estarossa might be his baby brother, might be the one who looked like him and looked up to him but Meliodas was under no disillusions about which brother was most like him. And it wasn't the grey-haired one who had modelled himself after Meliodas for almost two hundred years now.

* * *

But it was around when Zeldris reached his one hundred years mark that the bond between the three of them truly solidified. It was late one night when Gowther, a pink-haired demon with a cheery disposition who had appeared virtually out of nowhere one day, knocked on Meliodas's door and told him that his youngest brother was _whimpering_ in his sleep. This was highly unusual. Due to the chemicals in their brains demons did not often get nightmares.

Demons _were_ nightmares.

Setting off to investigate Meliodas found Zeldris deeply asleep… And something very wrong. The air seemed heavier in this room, the shadows darker. "Zeldris," when Meliodas touched his shoulder the younger prince's eyes snapped open and he grabbed his brother's wrist with bruising force.

Realizing who it was, he let go, "what is it?"

"You were having a nightmare," Meliodas replied, searching the boy's face for any sign of distress. He seemed fine now.

Confusion entered a pair of black eyes glossier than Meliodas's own. "I don't recall that."

Meliodas shrugged it off as a one-time thing but found an excuse to stay in his younger brother's room until Zeldris fell asleep again.

* * *

It did not get better. First Meliodas, then Estarossa as well when he found them, stayed with Zeldris for whenever he needed them during the night, unfortunately the amount of times his sleep grew troublesome grew, until every night -several times- Zeldris would awaken or be woken not just whimpering but screaming, limbs twitching and babbling horrors Meliodas himself could barely imagine.

And always that thick darkness remained, something was very not right here.

When Gowther got back from his mission -he'd been gone almost twelve years by this point- Meliodas asked him to -with Zeldris's consent- search his younger brother's mind for what troubled him. The minute Gowther's power touched Zeldris, Gowther's whole eyes, sclera, irises and pupils, turned jet black.

Gowther was able to wrench himself from Zeldris's mind a few minutes later and tell them the problem. But after seeing that, Meliodas didn't need to be told, he knew.

He stormed into the Demon King's throne room without being announced, perhaps the only person ever who would _dare_.

"Are you sharing your power with Zeldris?" He asked the abomination the three of them called 'father.'

His father confirmed this. Estarossa and Meliodas were powerful but their power was unlike his own, not good for opening a mental link. Zeldris on the other hand…

And while Meliodas's younger brother's mind was strong enough not to be crushed by the madness that was their father by _day,_ while he slept…

"I don't see what you're so upset about. Zeldris is a perfect conduit. Soon he will not even realize my presence and my power will be his to command." Their father rumbled.

 _And his mind will be yours whenever you wish it,_ thought Meliodas, out loud all he said was, "Zeldris is a child. Not a conduit."

 _"My_ child," the Demon King boomed, "I will do as I wish with him."

Meliodas's hands balled into fists and he very nearly went for his weapon. _He's not just your child,_ he thought murderously, _he's my brother and he's his own person._

And Meliodas would do _anything_ to protect him.

After all, that's what big brothers were for.

* * *

As Meliodas looked up at the sky from his room in the Boar's Hat three thousand years later and Zeldris curled up in a window seat at castle Camelot looking out at the snow they were both thinking of times, good and bad, that were long gone now and would never come back.

But one thing would never change.

They were brothers.

* * *

 **Done! Hope you enjoyed guys.**

 **I ship Estarossa and Gowther so hard, I don't know why. It is a problem...**


End file.
